Category Archives: Travel

Vintage New York Postcards: Part 2

Architecture, Travel

Ever since living in Manhattan in the 1980s, I have fond memories of the vintage postcards depicting the emerging metropolis of the early 20th century. I love the visual of the anticipation of a city growing vertically at an increasingly rapid pace. Skyscrapers were like chess pieces added to the Commissioners’’ Plan of 1811 (plan that set in place Manhattan’s grid between Houston and 155th Street) allowing the skyline to become one of the wonders of the 20th century and the envy of the modern world. Each skyscraper surpassed the other as they were decorated with increasingly elaborate and often pastiche styles, while integrating new technologies and patents of the nascent construction industry.

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Vienna: a lesson in stairs (Joze Plecnik), Part 2

Architectural Education, Architecture, Travel

Vienna stairs Jože Plečnik, Part 2. As much as the Zacherl House expresses the promise of modernism to come—from site strategy, structure, treatment of the façade, and ornamentation (previous blog)—I want to also celebrate the entrance sequence which, for me, makes this building so memorable. Perhaps this is because much research on the Zacherl House fails to go in depth regarding the staircase and because I find this particular space so beautifully orchestrated. 

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Vienna: a lesson in stairs (Joze Plecnik), Part 1

Architectural Education, Architecture, Travel

Vienna: a lesson in stairs (Joze Plecnik), Part 1. Each time I visit Vienna, the capital of the former Austro-Hungarian empire, it exhorts in me a mysterious feeling. First because I keep such fond childhood memories from there, and second because, as an architect, I have great sympathy for the city’s opulence in all matters of the fine arts and design. As a society, we have come to admire the magnificent artifacts that were created over the centuries, but those that retain my attention are from the turn of the 19th century, a period which reflected a new and rich artistic era when the city moved from eclecticism to modern functionalism. 

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Lexington: a lesson in stairs (Jose Oubrerie)

Architectural Education, Architecture, Travel

Lexington: a lesson in stairs (Jose Oubrerie). If you are unfamiliar with the Miller House designed by José Oubrerie, let me introduce you to this magnificent work of art through the lens of a particular element, namely a stair that is both architecture and an elaborate piece of furniture.

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Firminy: a lesson in stairs (Le Corbusier)

Architecture, Travel

Firminy: a lesson in stairs (Le Corbusier). There are times in academia when one is confronted by fundamental design questions that change our understanding of architecture. For me, this occurred when I encountered the promenade architecturale in Le Corbusier’s oeuvre. Hands down, and even retrospectively, this remains for me one of the most important spatial ideas I learned as a young student. 

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Still lifes by Ben Nicholson

Architectural Education, Art & Design, Painting, Travel

Still lifes by Ben Nicholson. Recently, I was delighted to rediscover the British artist Ben Nicholson (1894-1982) whose paintings I had so much admired while studying architecture. For some reason, I lost touch with his oeuvre despite my growing interest in the art of painting, especially the still life genre that I so much cherish. There are two reasons for my renewed interest in the still lives by Ben Nicholson. 

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Sketching on a field trip. Part 2

Architectural Education, Travel, Urbanism

“…nothing can be more abstract, more unreal, than what we actually see.”
Italian painter, Giorgio Morandi

In previous blogs, I have written about the necessity of skill building to facilitate students to use techniques as a process to diagram conceptually; work through iterative design processes; move from sketch to drafted sketch; and also to learn to sketch in model form.

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Inventing versus re-inventing

Architectural Education, Architecture, Travel

Inventing versus re-inventing. In past blogs, I stated that my academic and professional interest favors re-invention over invention. Working in the creative field of architecture surrounded by colleagues and students who thrive on furthering their art form, I always find it curious when reviewing student work, how many of them claim to invent a site strategy, to organize domesticity, or state a position in architecture that wants to be new.

“The distinguishing feature of great beauty is that it should surprise to an indifferent degree, which continuing, and then augmenting, is finally changed to wonder and admiration.”

                                             Montesquieu (1689-1755)

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Simone Martini: three principles of settlement

Architecture, Painting, Travel, Urbanism

Beyond the sublime postcard-like views of Switzerland, there are few European landscapes that have moved me more than those I have encountered while traveling in Italy. One of the most scenic and memorable parts of the Italian countryside is located in the north east, a region called the Veneto, which spans the medium-sized cities of Vicenza, Verona, and Padova, ending with Venice.

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